Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-02-04
LITTLE COURTESIES.
The Attentions DIen Pay to Women Here,
and Their Recognition.

ana Inelr hecoSnlton.
indianapolis News.
The ladies of this city are rapidly learn
ing to keep to the right On muddy cross
ings, and they are also adopting other
simple courtesies, which are putting
them to the front as the hsndsomest and
best of the sisterhood in America; but
occasionally an obstinate, strong minded,
contrary specimen is encountered, who
will persist in ambling to the left, or de-
ing some other equally inconsistent and
unnecessary act. A gentleman who has
travelled extensively in Europe remarked
discussing some of the character
the men of America are largely 10 blame
Tor the disposition of some of he fair
creatures to "hOg" everything in sight,
for they have so long treated them with
such gallantry that many have been edu-
Gated into regarding IS right what is
simply courtesy. In Paris, or Vienna,
for instance, il street car is crowded
with males and lady should enter, not
one of them would venture 20 offer q
seat. and the lady herself would not eX-
pee. Ii. 1 lie NO.!tQ lHS1c udNt HGNtt
been Taught that tley had any more rights
than man, and for that reason
if an American should extend q
courtesy he is accustomed to
at home he would be stared at
as an Anak, and even the lady herself
would be tempted to regard it as i'm
pertinent. And then ne said that the I'M
gallantIies to the ladies to be met with
across the continent were sufficient to
keep an Americans blood boiling, and he
never wanted to see similar rudeness eX-
tend to this country, although the ladies
sometimes invited 1t Oy the matteT-of- fact
way in which they pre- tempted everything
ia the way of accommodation to which
their fancy inclined. l: was Florence
Marryatt who once wrote that Americans
excelled all nations in attentions to
their women, but that the Ameri
can ladies' were the most unmannerly;
but she awarded the palm Of boorishness
to the men of her own nationality, which
is English. Ia New York, and even in
cultivated Boston, a churlish treatment
of ladies in public cunveyances is be-
ginning to MAKE itself felt, and in the
former city the Sun sneeringly speaks Of
an incident on car, where gentleman
surrendered his seat, as "lost at"
The average American, however, whether
rich or lOWly. is proud of a chance to be
tender and chiyalriC to lady, and is
amply compensated if his courtesy is re-
cOgnized as courtesy, and not accepted
as right.
It seems like little thing 10 keep to
the right on q muddy crossing, but there
are many ladies walking abreast who
never stop to consider the limited pas
sage, end COolly appropriate it as tn y
would a seat in car. There are men,
too, who do this thing, but, as general
thing, they do it at the risk of being
pushed to one side, for they know that
while the average man will take q good
deal eff a woman, he will stand no fool
ishness from one of his own SIX, and will
elbow him into the mud without the
slightest conjunction of conscience ii he
neglects to obey the common law of keep
ing to the right.
The absence OF conductors on the
street cars necessltstes more or less al
tention from gentlemen to ladies who
may be desrOus of paying their fare, or
who are wanting seat, and it is COnsId
cradle annoyance for q man to convert
the collection of passage money when his
own has been paid, or in giving up his
seat to lady who is less tired than HIM
self, and the lady loses nothing if she rec
ognizes the attention paid her, not as
divine right, but as courtesy due her
sex, and acknowledges it as freely as 1t
is rendered. The reporter one evening
heard lady say to her COM
panion: 81 always am ashamed to ride
on the O'Clock car, for there are so
many tired men going home from their
lab rs, to whom il seems like shsm4 to
deprive them of their seat, that we ladies,
who only go dowa town shopping or for
pleasure, should choose some other hour
in which to return" The porter in
stinctively said to himself: Here is
noble wife in embryo;" and sure enough,
it was not long until she was claimed by
one of natures noblemen. 1t was the
first time he had ever heard young wo-
man express commiseration for the OPP
posite SEX =
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